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Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: $169 - $229Please call Hotel Reservations at 800-333-4121. Please refer to Road Scholar for a 20% to 30% off of their rack rates.

Check in time: 3:00 PM

Day One: Sunday, October 06 - Afternoon Arrival/Welcome

Afternoon: CHECK-IN: Please arrive at the hotel between 3:00-4:30pm. Check into your room at the front desk and then register with Road Scholar staff in the Main lobby. At this time you'll be given a welcome packet containing your name tag, up-to-date itinerary and other useful information.

Dinner: A buffet dinner is served at the hotel featuring local favorites including NE Clam Chowder.

Evening: ORIENTATION: After dinner we will have our Orientation. Your you with information about the hotel, program itinerary, instructors, travel details, venues and on site staff.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: This morning we visit Prescott Farms for a presentation on Johnny Cakes and this property managed by the Newport Restoration Foundation.
Feel history come alive at this charming country setting where past meets present. Learn how the 1812 Windmill Works. Discover interesting facts about the Revolutionary War, historic buildings and the history of the land with the newly installed outdoor educational signs. Explore the kitchen and herb gardens managed by Master Gardeners from the University of Rhode Island.
FIELD TRIP: Next we pick up a local expert and enjoy a guided exploration of Newport and its fabulous mansions.

Lunch: Enjoy a light lunch overlooking the
Narragansett harbor.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Afternoon Class and visit to the Newport Vineyards.
Newport Vineyards was originally planted in 1977 on a hill overlooking Rhode Island Sound with the goal of producing fine wines and as a way of preserving beautiful agricultural land from rapid development. Aquidneck Island is blessed with one of the most desirable farming areas in the country, if not the world. This extraordinary micro-climate is created by a combination of the warm waters of the Gulf Stream to the south and the moderating effects of Narragansett Bay. These conditions provide a long, cool growing season ideal for developing complex flavors in wine.
Since the original vineyard plantings in the 1970s, Newport Vineyards, under the ownership of John and Paul Nunes, has grown to 60 vineyard acres.

Dinner: Dinner at the Atlantic Beach Club featuring a three course dinner with a limited menu.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Today we visit an The Green Meadows Organic Farm, owned by descendants of the Patton family for a presentation on organic farming and CSA farming.
Green Meadows Farm is a property with a long history as a private estate.
The main house has been dated in its central part to 1786. Successive owners added pieces to it over the years, hence its rambling character! Major and Mrs. George S. Patton Jr. bought the property in 1928. The Pattons lived here only occasionally until World War II, when Beatrice Patton took up residence, expecting to welcome her husband home from the war, to retirement. Unfortunately, an untimely vehicle accident caused General Patton's death in 1945, so he was never here in extended residence. Mrs Patton lived here until her death in the hunting field in 1953.
Upon his retirement after 34 years as a career Army officer, the next George Patton and his family moved here permanently in 1980. Major General Patton was determined to make something more of his property than "leisure land", so with the help of agricultural, environmental, and forestry experts -- and the advice of seasoned farmers -- he initiated Green Meadows Farm, originally as a blueberry operation. Naming his fields for brave soldiers who had lost their lives in service with him in Vietnam, he and his farm personnel have worked hard to maximize the potential of the land.

Lunch: Lunch is served at the Green Meadows Organic Farm. You will have the choice of sandwiches featuring locally raised organic produce, meats as well as organic bread.

Afternoon: CHECK-IN: We check into our Ogunquit hotel for the next two evenings.
FIELD TRIP: Afternoon Lobster Cruise w/speaker in Kennebunkport, Maine
Hop aboard a real lobster pulling boat and learn about the industry as you watch the captain pull up the traps revealing the day's catch. (Weather Permitting)

Dinner: Dinner at the Historic Colony Hotel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Choices will be offered for dinner this evening.

Evening: PRESENTATION: This evening, enjoy a discussion with Jim Amaral who is the owner of Borealis Breads located in York and Portland, Maine. The presentation will be prior to dinner.

Smoking policy: YesSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Day Four: Wednesday, October 09 - City of Portland, Cold River Vodka, Wilbur's Choc...

Breakfast: A deluxe continental breakfast is served at the hotel with pancakes, waffles, breakfast meats, yogurt, fruit, juice and coffee.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Today we travel to Portland, known as one of the tastiest small cities in America. We meet with a local expert who will take us on a guided exploration explaining the great history of the city. Next we meet with Herb Adams a local expert who will talk to us regarding fishing in Casco Bay and the Northern Atlantic.
FIELD TRIP: Next we visit Wilbur's Chocolate for a guided visit of their factory and sampling of their delicious candy.

Lunch: Lunch at local restaurant featuring a traditional Maine Lobster Roll as well as other sandwich selections.

Afternoon: EXCURSION: Enjoy a little free time in Freeport to explore the fantastic town and visit LL Bean.
FIELD TRIP: Program at the Cold River Vodka Distillery.
The idea for Cold River Vodka originated with brothers Lee and Donnie Thibodeau. Growing up in Presque Isle, the heart of Maine’s potato country, they listened to their father and uncles tell about their history of turning potatoes into vodka. However, the realities of tending to the potato crop and the rigors of the annual harvest left little time.
Three years ago, the idea of commercially producing vodka resurfaced between Donnie and Lee as they were driving back to their childhood home in Presque Isle. After years of thinking of business ideas and talking about the future of Maine’s potato industry, the two decided to make the best vodka from Maine potatoes.
Maine’s agricultural industry is always searching for ways to add value to staple crops. This goal complemented the Thibodeaus’ desire to preserve Maine’s open space and become the only distillery in the country that would oversee its entire production – from planting potato seed to bottling vodka.
They called longtime friend Bob Harkins, who had recently left his post as a ski area executive, and asked him to explore the feasibility of producing vodka using Maine potatoes and Maine water. With that call, the business was born.
The three needed someone who knew distilling and soon discovered Chris Dowe. After a decade of installing and consulting on breweries across the country, he wanted to spend more time with his family in Maine.
The four partners and their wives chose the name Cold River Vodka. Glaciers carved the Cold River through the backbone of western Maine millennia ago. From the aquifer that this clear, pristine river feeds, the distillery takes its water. From a dream to a reality, from the ground to glass, from spud to super-premium spirit — this is Cold River Vodka.
This program is followed by free time in Freeport.

Dinner: A traditional Maine Lobster bake dinner at Foster's York Harbor Pavilion. Get ready to be messy as you enjoy this wonderful Maine traditional served on red checkered tables.

Evening: EVENING ENTERTAINMENT: Sing along with the Captain at Foster's York Harbor Pavilion

Room amenities: Bedrooms are large and elegant, individually decorated with period furniture and colonial wall-papers. All rooms have telephones, free Wi-Fi and air conditioning in season.

Facility amenities: A Queen Anne-style brick inn that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Inn has been here since 1786. The huge Victorian parlors on the main floor are accented with carved moldings and ornate pillars. There are two gilded floor-to-ceiling mirrors and a circular love seat, as well as comfortable seating for reading.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Breakfast: A deluxe continental breakfast is served at the hotel with pancakes, waffles, breakfast meats, yogurt, fruit, juice and coffee.

Morning: Today we say good-bye to coastal New England and begin our journey to Vermont traveling through New Hampshire.
FIELD TRIP: Visit the Flag Hill Winery and Distillery for program and tasting.
Established in 1990, Flag Hill has grown from a family operated business to the largest vineyard in NH with an established winery producing distinguished wines from our own vineyard. Embarking on a new venture, owner Frank Reinhold secured Flag Hill as the first distillery in NH in 2004, producing high quality distilled spirits such as General John Stark Vodka and Josiah Bartlett Barrel Aged Apple Brandy.

Lunch: Lunch today is served at the Long Trail Brewery in Vermont and features their Cabot Cheddar Ale Soup, choice of sandwiches and a sampling of their wonderful draft beer.

Afternoon: PRESENTATION: Meet with local goat farmer, Wendy Cjka, who will talk about and demonstrate goat milk products. You will have the opportunity to meet one of their goats as part of the program.

Dinner: A delicious three course dinner is served in the Main Dining Room featuring local Vermont products.

Evening: EVENING ENTERTAINMENT: A rousing game of Bingo this evening for culinary prizes that we have collected over the week.

Room amenities: Bedrooms are large and elegant, individually decorated with period furniture and colonial wall-papers. All rooms have telephones, free Wi-Fi and air conditioning in season.

Facility amenities: A Queen Anne-style brick inn that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Inn has been here since 1786. The huge Victorian parlors on the main floor are accented with carved moldings and ornate pillars. There are two gilded floor-to-ceiling mirrors and a circular love seat, as well as comfortable seating for reading.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Breakfast: A buffet breakfast is served and includes hot and cold entree's, homemade granola, cereal, fruit, juice and coffee.

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Program at Neighborly Farms for a program on organic cheddar cheese making. Established as an operating dairy farm more than 30 years ago, the Dimmick's along with their 3 children Bobby, Bailey, and Billy are continuing the tradition on the family farm. Neighborly Farms decorates the countryside with its red barn and white post and beam farmhouse built in the 1800s. The farm operates on 168 acres with cropland and grazing fields to support the dairy and a sugarhouse for producing pure Vermont maple syrup. The clean and tidy barn is home to 48 Holsteins—the black and white cows that symbolize rural living at its very best.
FIELD TRIP: Program at the Cold Hollow Cider Mill w/ guided tour of process. After decades of additions, the old place sure doesn’t look the same! Added has been a Jelly Room, large production facility, two cold-storage rooms — for apples and finished product — and a large bottling facility. But the original barn still houses our cider press and our store, where we make our cider donuts and feature specialty foods, baked goods, cheese, honey, maple syrup, hot beverages, and lots more Vermont goodness. The Chittendens lived in the house, raising their three kids there, right up till they sold the business in 2000 to Paul Brown and his wife Gayle.

Lunch: Enjoy lunch served at the Cold Hollow Café with choice of sandwiches and salads along with delicious apple cider and cider doughnuts.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Our final stop today is at the Morse Sugar Farm w/traditional sugar-on-snow.
The Morse ancestors who helped settle Central Vermont were taught how to tap maple trees by Native Americans. Hot Rocks were used to evaporate the sweet sap until only sugar or "sinzibukwud" remained. Pioneers could boil a year's supply of sugar thus making Americans self-sufficient in sugar production. Ben Franklin promoted massive sugar production in the Northeast to make the country less dependant on "foreign" sugar.

Dinner: A farewell three course dinner is served in the Main Dining Room.

Evening: Enjoy light musical entertainment this evening in the living room at the inn.

Day Seven: Saturday, October 12 - Travel to Rhode Island, Vermont Country Store

Breakfast: A buffet breakfast is served and includes hot and cold entree's, homemade granola, cereal, fruit, juice and coffee.

Morning: EXCURSION: Visit the Vermont Country Store in Rockingham where you will enjoy samples of many of Vermont's fine foods.
Continue on to RI for drop off at the TF Green Airport in Providence and independent departures from Newport hotel.

Lunch: A packed box lunch was prepared by the inn and includes a sandwich, chips, fruit and cookie.

Afternoon: We will drop off at the TF Green Airport in Providence at around 1:30 PM and then at the Holiday Inn Express at 2:30 PM for departures. Please do not make plane reservations before 3:00 PM.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Free Time Opportunities

Newport/Middletown, RI

Discover New EnglandAn excellent web site for everything in New England with links to tourism information for each state.For additional information, visit: www.discovernewengland.org

Brandon, VT

Discover New EnglandAn excellent web site for everything in New England with links to tourism information for each state.For additional information, visit: www.discovernewengland.org

Ogunquit, ME

Discover New EnglandAn excellent web site for everything in New England with links to tourism information for each state.For additional information, visit: www.discovernewengland.org

Important information about your itinerary: Please know that while we do everything we can to finalize all aspects of our programs well in advance, there are logistics that occasionally must be altered. Our website will reflect the most recent information, and we are committed to providing you with final program details no later than eight weeks prior to the start of programs outside the U.S. and three weeks prior to the start of programs within the U.S. If you ever have questions about your program, please don't hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

Need Help?

The latest in light, portable, easy-to-use QUIETVOX listening devices are available on Road Scholar programs.* Whether you are outdoors, in a crowd or in a museum environment where speaking loudly is discouraged, a listening device makes it feel like our experts are speaking clearly and directly to you. Hear for yourself on a Road Scholar adventure!

*Please note that due to the nature of some programs, the remote location or government regulations, listening devices may not be available. If you’d like to know for sure if your program will offer listening devices, just call and ask an Advisor!